System and method for single sign on process for websites with multiple applications and services

Abstract

A system and method for integrating the Internet front end-sign on processes of the various systems of a financial institution which allows a customer to view and access its various financial accounts with the institution. During the initial sign up for the online access to its accounts, a customer creates his/her User ID and password online during the same session. Once the customer has signed on (password) and verified ownership of at least one account, the system displays all of the customer's accounts that are available for access via the Internet website. The online ownership verification uses only a single account of the customer and the ownership verification criteria associated with the account. The account used for verifying a customer is first determined based on the accounts selected by the customer for accessing online. From the selected accounts, the system of the present invention creates a verification hierarchy with respect to the accounts. When determining the verification to use for the single ownership verification, the present invention selects the account from the hierarchy with the most stringent requirements.

1. A method for accessing a plurality of service provider systems across a network through a host service provider using a single sign on, the method comprising:
 a host service provider, using at least one or more computer processors, establishing a single sign on session directly with a user by: receiving validation information from a user; 
 retrieving data from a validation database, wherein the data is effective for accessing at least one service provider system and is based at least in part on the validation information from the user; 
 comparing the data with the validation information received from the user so as to determine access to the plurality of service provider systems; and 
 directing the user to at least one of the service provider systems such that the user accesses information at the at least one of the service provider systems within the single sign on session; 
 wherein the host service provider provides access to account information pertaining to a plurality of the user's accounts, the account information of the plurality of accounts residing respectively in the plurality of service provider systems; and 
 wherein access is provided, by the host service provider, to the accounts based on a hierarchy ranking, the host service provider determining a highest level account to which the user is entitled access, based on the data, and the host service provider providing access to all accounts at and under such highest level account. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , the validation information including a received user ID and password. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host service provider is in the form of an application server. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the validation database includes a database that contains customer profiles. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the customer profiles include user IDs, passwords, relationship data and profile data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , the customer profiles are maintained in the database in the form of a customer identification file (CIF). 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the service provider systems is a line of business system. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of service provider systems is a line of business system. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , where the service provider systems and the host service provider communicate with the user over the Internet. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing processing to sign the user up with the host service provider. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , the processing to sign the user up with the host service provider including performing processing to register the user with a user's account. 
     
     
       12. A system for accessing a plurality of service provider systems via a single sign on to a host service provider, the system comprising:
 a plurality of service provider systems; 
 a data communication network; 
 a host service provider configured to establish a single sign on session directly with a user by receiving a single login from a user and selectively directing the user to at least one of the service provider systems, the host service provider in communication with the plurality of service provider systems and the user over the data communication network, and the single login including validation information of the user for the single sign on session; and 
 a validation database for storing stored information for accessing the plurality of service provider systems, the host service provider establishing a single sign on session by retrieving the stored information from the validation database, and the host service provider comparing the stored information with the validation information received from the user so as to determine access to the plurality of service provider systems within the single sign on session; 
 wherein the host service provider provides access to account information pertaining to a plurality of the user's accounts, the account information of the plurality of accounts residing respectively in the plurality of service provider systems; and 
 wherein access is provided, by the host service provider, to the accounts based on a hierarchy ranking, the host service provider determining a highest level account to which the user is entitled access, based on the stored information, and the host service provider providing access to all accounts at and under such highest level account. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , the validation information including a user ID and password. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , the host service provider being in the form of an application server. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , the validation database including a database that contains customer profiles. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 12 , further including a middleware component, the middleware component providing for communications between the host service provider and the service provider systems. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , the middleware component including a communication server and a delivery processor. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 12 , each of the plurality of service provider systems is a line of business system. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 12 , further including a customer workstation to interface with the customer, the customer workstation being in communication with the host service provider over a communication network, the communication network being the Internet. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , the customer workstation supporting an Internet browser, the Internet browser providing the communication with the host service provider. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 12 , the validation database further storing information for signing up the user with the service provider systems.